Council of Fashion Designers of America chief executive Steven Kolb says he is "disappointed" that Ford models reneged on its pledge to not put girls under 16 forward for runway work. He says that although the CFDA would "of course not" punish any designer member who used underaged models in a show, but that the organization does give designers a little talking-to. "In the instances where we might see a girl under 16, we'll let the designer know that," said Kolb. "A lot of times the designer doesn't know." [Fashionista]
Meanwhile, photographer David Urbanke Tweeted, "I've stopped counting the number of underage girls I've photographed that have walked shows this season." [@DavidUrbanke]
Two 14-year-old models walked walked the Marc Jacobs Fall 2012 runway last night. Above is Ondria Hardin; also in the show was Thairine Garcia, a native of Brazil. Jacobs told the Times "I do the show the way I think it should be and not the way somebody tells me it should be. If their parents are willing to let them do a show, I don't see any reason that it should be me who tells them that they can't." He offered, "There are children actors." Yes — only they have the protection of their union, and of the laws that limit their working hours and require they be given the opportunity to complete their compulsory schooling; models, especially ones who are catapulted to fame after being cast in a show like Marc Jacobs, often end up dropping out of high school because the demands of their careers. [On The Runway]
Speaking of very young models, Cindy Crawford says that her 10-year-old daughter, Kaia, might be the first-ever face of Versace's children's line — but she's not a model. "Kaia isn't modeling, per se," says the supermodel. "She doesn't have a portfolio or an agent." The Versace gig came about through personal connections (Crawford mère was a muse of Gianni Versace, after all.) "At this point, she's too young to pursue a career. There aren't even a handful of jobs for a 10-year-old girl." Well, there are some. But Thylane Blondeau already booked all of them. [DFR; story not online]

Jenny Packham
's fall collection was gorgeous, evening-heavy and noirish. The models sported retro hairstyles, and the theme was a bit of a departure for the designer known for sweetness, light, and Kate Middleton
's custom.
Karen Walker
showed a nifty collection of dresses — some embellished with gold chains that swung from the collar points, a nice touch of hardware that was echoed on the belts — and fluffy angora sweaters in bright colors. We liked the paisley prints, the masculine blazers (a silhouette which Walker has long made her staple), and of course the sunglasses.
Betsey Johnson
was inspired by Swinging London for fall. This translated to hot-pink faux fur and pink leopard printed catsuits and plaid swing coats. Hey, it's Betsey. What's not to like?
The designer says she loves being known for her prom dresses. "I always ask the girls, 'Did you have a good time at the fuckin' prom?' And they always say, 'yes.'" [The Cut
]
Alice + Olivia
wishes she could grow up to be Betsey Johnson.
Reem Acra
's fall show was a mixed bag. The collection had references to everything from 20s flappers to 80s party dresses. There was plenty of questionable transparency and overall, Acra seemingly couldn't decide if she wanted to be Anthony Vaccarello-y and graphic or just really, really sparkly.
Last night, Marc Jacobs
showed his fall collection on a runway set designed by sculptor Rachel Feinstein
, a friend of the designer. Our review and slideshow will be posted later today, but for now, Feinstein talks a little about how the collaboration with Jacobs came about:

"He called me and mentioned this sculpture I made called Puritan's Delight, which is this broken black carriage, and he said that the clothes are starting to remind him of pilgrims, and kind of widows. So he was feeling my work, and whether I'd be interested in meeting with him. And I was, like, yeah. So I went over that afternoon, and we had a meeting, and about two days later I brought up some ideas about broken castles and moats. And he said, 'No castles, no fairytales — I want ruins, I want grottoes, I want, kind of like the Marie Antoinette version of a ruin.'"

More than 50 carpenters worked to build the set, which was struck yesterday after the show ended. [The Cut]

Natalia Vodianova
is the new face of Stuart Weitzman
. [WWD
]
Photographer Lillian Bassman
, known for
her intimate and un-sensational portraits of models in the 1940s, 50s, and early 60s, has died. She was 94. [WWD
]

New York fashion week's two seasonal events are projected to pump around $865 million into the city's economy during 2012, according to Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Five hundred shows attract over 232,000 visitors. Bloomberg and Diane von Furstenberg announced five new initiatives intended to further strengthen the fashion industry in New York, including the formation of a new "mini-M.B.A." program at the Fashion Institute of Technology and a fund that will provide low-interest loans to emerging designers, provided they manufacture their clothing and accessories in New York. [WWD]

Liliane Bettencourt, the 89-year-old billionaire L'Oréal heiress whose grip on her mental and financial faculties has been questioned in recent years (via a nasty legal dispute with her daughter) has given up her seat on the L'Oréal board. [WWD]

T presents the genesis and construction of a single garment from Thakoon's fall collection — a camel coat dress with a basketweave back — in photos. [T]

Edun had live butterflies at its after-party — the brand's current campaign, shot by Ryan McGinley, features native African butterflies — but they kept on escaping from their cages and flying around the room and landing on guests and in their cocktails. Eh; we've had worse party experiences. [P6]